Rail anchor



J an. 2, 1923.

L. 1. B'ERKELEY.

1.4 as i v Patented den. 2, i923.

ii jhll fi LAURENCE a. BERKELEY, or MILWAUKEE, iscons n, .ASSIGNOBto/THE at: M

conranr, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or rumors.

nan; ANCHOR.

Application filed January 10, 1921. Serial 110.436,]1'88.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Lannnivon J. BERKE- cnr,a citizen of the United Ftates, residing at Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of VJisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rail Anchors, of which the following is a specincation.

My invention relates to devices for resisting the pressures on railroadrails, resulting from the passing of traffic in one general direction orother causes, having a tendency to produce a longitudinal creepingmovement of the rails.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide an improvedtwo-piece anchor device consisting of a jaw member and key, the latterof which is adapted to be forced into wedging engagement between the jawmember and the rail to effect a firm grip of the device on the rail; thejaw memher and key being so formed that one of the members will betensioned and interlocked with the other during the application of thedevice to the rail to lock the anchor in its applied position and resistthe tendency of the vibration of the rail, counter-creeping or otherdisturbing influences from loosening the grip of the device on the rail.

Another object of my invention is to provide an anchor device having theabove mentioned features and being formed with a key member, a portionof which has an angular position with relation to the vertical edge ofthe rail base'and is forced vertically between the jaw member and one ofthe vertical edges of the rail base so that the angular-1y disposedportion of the key will project over the upper edge of the rail base soas to support the jaw member of the anchor up against the under-surfaceof the rail base when the jaw and key members are interlocked with eachother.

Another object is to provide an improved anchor consisting of a railembracing yoke and a spring key adapted to have an interlockingengagement with the yoke, the yoke and key being constructed so thatthey may be readily applied to rails having base flanges of differingwidths and firmly interlocked in operative position on such rails.

The invention has for furtherobjects the novel arrangement, constructionand combination of partshereinafter-described and claimed, for carryingout the abovestated objectsand such other objects as will appear fromthe followingdescription of a preferred construction.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front viewin elevation of a rail anchordevice constructed in accordance with my invention applied initsoperativeposition on the. base flanges of a railroad rail, therailroadrail being shown in section,

Fig. 2 is a View in perspective of a.-preferred form of key member shownin'F ig..1,

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the rail base embracing yoke used inconnection with the key member shown in ,Fig; 2,

Fig. 4 isa cross section takenthrou-gh one end of the yoke on line-4L-flof Fig-3, looking in the direction indicated by .the arrows, and i Fig.5 is avertical sectional view taken through the key end of the railanchor, showing the manner in which the anchor device may beconveniently applied toits operative position and also "showing themanner in which a portion of the yoke memher is bent to interlock withthe key member.

Fig-6 is a fragmentary plan view of the key end of a modified form ofyoke showing also a modified form of key member.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawing.

Referring first to Figs. 1v to 5 inclusive of the drawing, 10 designatesa railroad rail and 11 one of the cross ties on which the rail" issupported. The anchor shown in these figures consists of a yoke member12, made. preferably of malleable casting, which extends under the railbase. The yoke is rigidified with cribs 13-13. and is formed at one endwith a jaw 14, which hooks over oneedge of the rail base. The other endof the yoke is formed with a jaw portion 15 comprising an upstandingflange .16 which stands out of engagement with the opposite edge oflthebase flange of the rail. The web 17 of the yoke adjacent thejaw 1a isinclined downwardly as shown at 18 so as to facilitate the applicationof. the jaw to the rail base. At' the other end of the yoke the webportion stops short of the upstanding flange 16 to provide an opening 19through which the. lower: .end of a wedge shape-d key 20' extends whenthe .14 fitted over one edge ofthe base.

device is clamped to a rail. A bendable tongue 21 of an angularconfigurat1on'extends downwardly from the web 17 of the yoke and isadapted, as will be hereinafter described, to be bent into engagementwith the lower end of the key 20, so as to lock the key in its appliedposition.

The key 20 is preferably made of spring metal and is formed withtapering flanges 22-22 adapted to be forced into a wedging positionbetween the edge 23 of the. rail base and the upstanding flange 16 ofthe jaw 15. The web portion 2 1 of the'key extends below the flanges2222 as shown at 25 and is formed in a curved or angular configurationas shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

When applying the anchor, the jaw end 15 is passed under the rail baseand the e jaw 15 of the yoke is then held up against the rail base byany suitable means until the key 20 is driven or otherwise forced into afirm wedging engagement between the upstanding flange 16 of the jaw15-and the edge 23 of the rail base. When the key 20 is driven home, thebendable tongue 21 of the yoke is bent toward the key until lugs 2626 atthe lower end of the tongue 21 engage the vertical edges of lugs 27-27extending downwardly from the flanges 1318 of the yoke. This position ofthe tongue 21 is shown in. dotted lines and indicated by the referencecharacter B in Fig. 5. By applying further pressure to the angulartongue it will be straightened out so as to force its lower end intocontact with the spring end 25 of the key and thereby tension the same,as shown in dotted lines indicated at C in Fig. 5.

With the key 20 applied in the above manner, it will be seen that theupper portion of the tapered surfaces of the key flanges 2222 projectinwardly over the upper edge 23 of the rail base and that the tensioningof the lower portion 25 of the key in the manner described will hold thejaw end 15 of the yoke up in its proper position and prevent thevibration of the rail or other disturbing influences from loosening thewedging position of the key.

The yoke 12 is provided with a tie abutment 28 which preferably bearsagainst one of the vertical faces of the tie 11 at a point preferablyadjacent one edge of the rail base.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a device with which the key 20 may be forced homeand the bendable tongue 21 straightened so as to tension the lower endof the key. This device consists of a bar 29 formed with a book 30 whichengages the bendable tongue 21 and the upper end of the yoke 20. Bymoving the bar 29 toward the left of Fig. 5, pressure will be appliedsimultaneously to the said tongue 21 and key so as to force them intotheirpreviously described interlocking position.

In Fig. 6 l have shown a modified form of key and indicate a preferredconstruction of the key end of the yoke when this type of key is used.In this modification the key designated 20 seats in a recess 31 formedin the upstanding flange 16 of the yoke and flanges designated 2222 ofthe key are bent, on vertical lines, in opposite directions so that theywill stand at acute angles to the edge of the rail base. With thisconstruction the flanges 22 22 will be tensioned when the key is drivenhome, and thereby gives the key a combined wedging and spring action sothat the anchor will maintain a firm grip on rail-bases of differentwidths and so as to compensate for any variation in width resulting fromexpansion or contraction; This device, in other respects, may be thesame as that shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

While I have described my invention in connection with certain specificembodiments it will be obvious that the structural features of thedevice may be varied without departure from the spirit of my invention.

tural features as come within the scope of the appended claims.

1' claim: i

1. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member and a key adapted to be forcedinto wedging engagement between said member and one edge of the base ofa rail and havinga resilient portion interlocking with said aw memher soas to hold said key in position by spring pressure;

2. A rail anchor comprising a jaw memher and a key adapted to be forcedvertically into wedging engagement between said member and one of thevertical edges of the base of a rail and having a resilient portioninterlocked with said jaw memben to prevent reverse movement of the key.

3. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member and spring metal key adapted tobe forced into wedging engagement between said member and one of thevertical edges of the base of a rail and interlocked with said jawmember. a a

4. A. rail anchor comprising a yoke mem ber adapted to extend across theunder surface of a rail base and formed with a jaw portion which engagesone edge of said base, and a key adaptedto be wedged between theopposite edge of said base and the other end of the yoke and formed withan angular extremity having an interlocking engagement with said yoke.

5. A. rail anchor comprising a yoke member adapted to extend across theunder surface of a rail base and formed with a jaw portion which engagesone edge of said base,

I therefore wish it understood thatmy invention contemplates all suchstruc-.

a vertically disposed key adapted to be wedged between the opposite edgeof said base and the other end of the yoke and formed with a springportion having an intel-locking engagement with said yoke.

6. A rail anchor comprising a yoke. member former at one end with a j awto engage one edge of the base of a rail and formed at the other endwith an abutment, and a key member adapted to be wedged between theopposite edge of said rail base and said abutment; said key beingprovided with a spring end adapted to be tensioned when in operativeposition, and interlocked with said yoke member.

7. A rail anchor comprisin a yoke member formed at one end with a jaw toengage one edge of the base of a rail and -tormerl at the other end withan abutment, and a key member formed with tapered fiai s hich normallyproject over the opposite edge off said rail base and are adapted to bewedged between said opposite edge of the rail base and said abutment;said key being provided with a spring and adapted, when in its appliedposition, to be tensioned and interlocked with said yoke member.

8. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member and a key member, whichtogether grip opposite edges of a rail base; the key being formed with aspring portion and the yoke being formed with a lug adapted to be bentto effect an interlocking engagement between said yoke and said springportion of the key.

9. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member and a key member whichtogether grip opposite edges of arail base; the key being termed with aspring portion and the yoke being formed with a lug adapted to be bentto tension said spring portion of the key and to eli'ect an interlockingengagement between said yoke member and key.

10. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member and a key member whichtogether grip opposite edges of a rail base; the key being termed with aspring portion and the yoke being formed with an angular shaped lugadapted to be bent to tension said Spring portion of the key and toeffect an interlocking engagement between said yoke and key.

11. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member and a key member whichtogether grip opposite edges of a rail base; the key being formed with aspring portion and the yoke being formed with an angular shaped lug.

adapted to be bent to tension said spring port-ion of the key and toefiect an interlock ing engagement between said yoke and key, said yokebeing provided with a depending abutment adapted to be engaged by thelower edge of said bendable lug so as to limit the bending movement ofsaid lug.

12. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member and key member which togethergrip opposite edges oi a rail base; the key being formed with awedge-shaped portion and terminating in a spring end, and said yokebeing formed with an angularly disposed bendable tongue adapted to bestraightened to tension said spring end oi the key.

13. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member and a key member whichtogether grip opposite edges of a rail base, the key being formed with awedge-shaped portion and terminating in a spring end, and said yokebeing formed with an angularly disposed. bendable tongue adapted to bestraightened to tension said spring end of the key when the device isapplied to a rail, whereby the yoke member is maintained in its properposition by a combined wedging and spring pressure.

14:. In combination, a rail-embracing yoke member formed at one end witha jaw to engage one edge of the base of a rail and formed at the otherend with an opening, an upstanding abutment at one edge of said opening,a bendable angular tongue extending downwardly from said yoke member,and a key adapted to be wedged between said upstanding abutment and therail base and provided with a spring end which is tensioned by aninterlocking connection with said bendable tongue when the device isapplied.

15. In combination, a rail-embracing yoke member formed at one end witha jaw to engage one edge of the base of a rail and formed at the otherend with an opening, an upstanding abutment at one edge of said opening,a bendable angular tongue extending downwardly from said yoke member,and a key adapted to be wedged between said upstanding abutment and therail base, and provided with a curved spring end; said bendable tonguebeing adapted to be bent into an interlocking position with said keywhereby the spring end of the key is ten- Sioned to maintain a firm gripof the device on the rail.

LAURENCE J. BERKELEY.

